American planes drop 70,000 more food parcels

American cargo jets dropped 70,000 food packets over Afghanistan overnight, continuing a US effort to get aid to civilians while military targets are attacked, an Air Force spokesman said today.

The mission involving four C-17 planes brought the total number of rations dropped to about 713,000 since the start of the operation, which coincided with the start of US airstrikes, said a spokesman for US Air Force Europe at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The packets contain foods such as barley stew, rice, shortbread cookies and peanut butter providing at least 2,200 calories, which are dropped out of boxes from the back of the cargo planes.